Key Takeaways
- Rousey opened up about her history of concussions, sharing the impact on her MMA career and highlighting the lack of discussion on neurological injuries in the sport.
- The former UFC champ's final losses were partly attributed to head trauma, leading her to exit the sport quietly and emphasize the importance of fighter well-being.
- Rousey's warning about the long-term effects of head impacts in MMA sheds light on the culture of hiding vulnerability in fighting sports despite the growing conversation on mental health.
Ronda Rousey, the former UFC and WWE champion, recently disclosed that her history of concussions dates back to when she was just six years old. "Nobody talks about it," she said.
Rousey is reflecting on the physical toll her martial arts career has taken after quietly ending her UFC career.
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Rousey's transition from UFC to WWE between 2016 and 2018 was quick and lacked closure for her fans. Earlier this year, she revealed that concussions played a significant role in her quiet exit from mixed martial arts. "If the concussions weren't an issue, things would've happened completely differently," Rousey told CBS Sports."Accumulative neurological injury is something people don't talk about in MMA."
Rousey's battle with concussions began long before her MMA career. She shared that her first concussions occurred during childhood swimming incidents and continued through her early judo training.
"I started getting concussions regularly and multiple times a year and not being allowed to speak up or say anything about it," Rousey explained.
She highlighted the culture in fighting sports where showing weakness is frowned upon, and discussing neurological decline is often dismissed as making excuses.
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Rousey's final two MMA fights ended in knockout losses, highlighting the cumulative impact of head trauma.
"I got to a point where I knew that I literally could not be taking those head impacts and continue to compete at that same level. It doesn't do the sport any favor."
MMA fighters are notoriously resilient, but there's a growing conversation around mental health and fighter well-being. Prominent UFC stars such as Max Holloway have adopted training styles that prioritize longevity.
Rousey warns about the long-term hazards of the sport. "You see that happen to a lot of fighters as they age," she said.
"Their brains get injured. That is going to hurt them later on in their life and they end up getting punch-drunk or slurring or in wheelchairs and all this stuff and nobody talks about it."
UFC fans' opinions on Ronda Rousey are mixed. Some fans disliked her perceived arrogance and brash demeanor during her dominant reign, while others felt she didn't handle her losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes gracefully. Some also criticized her for leaving the UFC abruptly after those losses. However, Rousey is still recognized for her immense impact on women's MMA and her role in popularizing the sport.
